HotC. annuumUnited States
Fish pepper
Fish Pepper
30,000Scoville Heat Units
Heat context
Carolina Reaper
Ghost Pepper
Habanero
Fish pepper
Illustration coming soon
Botanical data
Heat (SHU)30,000
SpeciesC. annuum
OriginUnited States
Days to mature80
Plant height45–75 cm
Wall thicknessThin
Ripe colourdark red
YieldModerate
Growth habitBush
Germination7-21
FoliageVariegated
Unripe colourwhite with green streaks
About this variety
A rare African American heirloom variety from the Chesapeake Bay region with striking variegated foliage and peppers that ripen from cream-white with green streaks to orange and finally dark red. Nearly lost to extinction in the 20th century, it was rediscovered when 50-year-old seeds were found in a family freezer and successfully germinated by food historian William Woys Weaver in the 1990s.
Flavour profile
brightcrisp heatcitrusysharp
Culinary scores
Sauce
7/10
Drying
6/10
Pickling
8/10
Culinary uses
Historically prized in Chesapeake crab houses and oyster bars for seafood dishes. The white unripe peppers allowed chefs to add heat to cream-based soups, white sauces, and seafood dishes without discoloring them—particularly valued for cream of crab soup and oyster stews.
You might also like
Quick reference
Heat30,000 SHU
SpeciesC. annuum
OriginUnited States
Days to ripe80
Ripe colourdark red
Best forSauce, Pickling, Historically prized in Chesapeake crab houses and oyster bars for seafood dishes. The white unripe peppers allowed chefs to add heat to cream-based soups
Data confidence: 4/5. Sourced from community submissions and verified references. Suggest a correction